United States Department of the Interior

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

Arizona Ecological Services Field Office

2321 WEST ROYAL PALM ROAD, SUITE 103

PHOENIX, AZ 85021

PHONE: (602)242-0210 FAX: (602)242-2513

URL: www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/;

www.fws.gov/southwest/es/EndangeredSpecies_Main.html

Consultation Code: 02EAAZ00-2015-SLI-0794 September 17, 2015

Event Code: 02EAAZ00-2015-E-01034

Project Name: Salt River Project - Navajo Generating Station Minor Modification

Subject: List of threatened and endangered species that may occur in your proposed project

location, and/or may be affected by your proposed project

To Whom It May Concern:

The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is providing this list under section 7(c) of the

Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The list you have

generated identifies threatened, endangered, proposed, and candidate species, and designated

and proposed critical habitat, that may occur within one or more delineated United States

Geological Survey 7.5 minute quadrangles with which your project polygon intersects. Each

quadrangle covers, at minimum, 49 square miles. Please refer to the species information links

found at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/Docs_Species.htm or 

http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/Documents/MiscDocs/AZSpeciesReference.pdf for a

quick reference, to determine if suitable habitat for the species on your list occurs in your

project area.

The purpose of the Act is to provide a means whereby threatened and endangered species and

the habitats upon which they depend may be conserved. Under sections 7(a)(1) and 7(a)(2) of

the Act and its implementing regulations (50 CFR 402 et seq.), Federal agencies are required to

utilize their authorities to carry out programs for the conservation of Federal trust resources and

to determine whether projects may affect federally listed species and/or designated critical

habitat. A Biological Assessment is required for construction projects (or other undertakings

having similar physical impacts) that are major Federal actions significantly affecting the

quality of the human environment as defined in the National Environmental Policy Act (42

U.S.C. 4332(2)(c)). For projects other than major construction activities, the Service suggests

that a biological evaluation similar to a Biological Assessment be prepared to determine

whether the project may affect listed or proposed species and/or designated or proposed critical

habitat. Recommended contents of a Biological Assessment are described at 50 CFR 402.12.
If the Federal action agency determines that listed species or critical habitat may be affected by

a federally funded, permitted or authorized activity, the agency must consult with us pursuant to

50 CFR 402. Note that a "may affect" determination includes effects that may not be adverse

and that may be beneficial, insignificant, or discountable. An effect exists even if only one

individual or habitat segment may be affected. The effects analysis should include the entire

action area, which often extends well outside the project boundary or "footprint" (e.g.,

downstream). If the Federal action agency determines that the action may jeopardize a proposed

species or adversely modify proposed critical habitat, the agency must enter into a section 7

conference. The agency may choose to confer with us on an action that may affect proposed

species or critical habitat.

Candidate species are those for which there is sufficient information to support a proposal for

listing. Although candidate species have no legal protection under the Act, we recommend that

they be considered in the planning process in the event they become proposed or listed prior to

project completion. More information on the regulations (50 CFR 402) and procedures for

section 7 consultation, including the role of permit or license applicants, can be found in our

Endangered Species Consultation Handbook at: 

http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-library/pdf/TOC-GLOS.PDF.

In addition to species listed under the Act, we advise you to consider species protected under the

Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) (16 U.S.C. 703-712) and the Bald and Golden Eagle

Protection Act (BGEPA) (16 U.S.C. 668 et seq.). Both laws prohibit the take of covered

species. The list of MBTA-protected birds is in 50 CFR 10.13 (for an alphabetical list see 

http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/RegulationsPolicies/mbta/MBTANDX.HTML). The

Service's Division of Migratory Birds is the lead for consultations under these laws (Southwest

Regional Office phone number: 505/248-7882). For more information regarding the MBTA,

BGEPA, and permitting processes, please visit the following web site: 

http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/mbpermits.html. Guidance for minimizing impacts to

migratory birds for projects including communications towers (e.g. cellular, digital television,

radio, and emergency broadcast) can be found at: 

http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/CellTower.htm

Although bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) are no longer listed under the Act, they are

protected under both the BGEPA and the MBTA. If a bald eagle nest occurs in or near the

proposed project area, our office should be contacted. An evaluation must be performed to

determine whether the project is likely to disturb nesting bald eagles (see 

http://www.fws.gov/southeast/es/baldeagle/) and the Division of Migratory Birds consulted if

necessary. The National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines provide recommendations to

minimize potential project impacts to bald eagles (see 

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/eagle/pdf/NationalBaldEagleManagementGuidelines.pdf).

Activities that involve streams and/or wetlands are regulated by the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers (Corps). We recommend that you contact the Corps to determine their interest in

proposed projects in these areas. For activities within a National Wildlife Refuge, we

recommend that you contact refuge staff for specific information about refuge resources.

If your action is on Indian land or has implications for off-reservation tribal interests, we

encourage you to contact the tribe(s) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to discuss potential

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tribal concerns, and to invite any affected tribe and the BIA to participate in the section 7

consultation. In keeping with our tribal trust responsibility, we will notify tribes that may be

affected by proposed actions when section 7 consultation is initiated. For more information,

please contact our tribal coordinator, John Nystedt, at (928) 556-2160 or 

John_Nystedt@fws.gov.

The State of Arizona protects some species not protected by Federal law. We recommend you

contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) for animals and Arizona Department

of Agriculture for plants to determine if species protected by or of concern to the State may

occur in your action area. The AGFD has an Environmental Review On-Line Tool that can be

accessed at http://www.azgfd.gov/hgis/. We also recommend that you coordinate with the

AGFD regarding your project.

For additional communications regarding this project, please refer to the consultation Tracking

Number in the header of this letter. We appreciate your concern for threatened and endangered

species. If we may be of further assistance, please contact Brenda Smith at 928/556-2157 for

projects in Northern Arizona, our general Phoenix number (602/242-0210) for central Arizona,

or Jean Calhoun at 520/670-6150 (x223) for projects in southern Arizona.

Sincerely,

/s/

Steven L. Spangle

Field Supervisor

Attachment

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http://ecos.fws.gov/ipac, 09/17/2015 11:36 AM

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Official Species List

Provided by:

Arizona Ecological Services Field Office

2321 WEST ROYAL PALM ROAD, SUITE 103

PHOENIX, AZ 85021

(602) 242-0210

http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/

http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/EndangeredSpecies_Main.html

Consultation Code: 02EAAZ00-2015-SLI-0794

Event Code: 02EAAZ00-2015-E-01034

Project Type: POWER GENERATION

Project Name: Salt River Project - Navajo Generating Station Minor Modification

Project Description: Installation of a coal treatment system at the existing Navajo Generating

Station. The project will occur within the existing facility footprint. The project will result in

emission increases in PM, PM10, and PM2.5. The emissions increases may effect threatened or

endangered species outside of the facility boundary.

Please Note: The FWS office may have modified the Project Name and/or Project Description, so it

may be different from what was submitted in your previous request. If the Consultation Code

matches, the FWS considers this to be the same project. Contact the office in the 'Provided by'

section of your previous Official Species list if you have any questions or concerns.

United States Department of Interior

Fish and Wildlife Service

Project name: Salt River Project - Navajo Generating Station Minor Modification
http://ecos.fws.gov/ipac, 09/17/2015 11:36 AM

2

Project Location Map: 

Project Coordinates: MULTIPOLYGON (((-111.3969898223877 36.91696023183306, -

111.39896392822266 36.908244711068335, -111.39930725097656 36.9017932118719, -

111.39656066894531 36.89740038963698, -111.38505935668945 36.89396832132316, -

111.38205528259277 36.89348781944357, -111.37699127197266 36.91359766858559, -

111.3969898223877 36.91696023183306)))

Project Counties: Coconino, AZ

United States Department of Interior

Fish and Wildlife Service

Project name: Salt River Project - Navajo Generating Station Minor Modification
http://ecos.fws.gov/ipac, 09/17/2015 11:36 AM

3

Endangered Species Act Species List

There are a total of 9 threatened, endangered, or candidate species on your species list. Species on this list should be

considered in an effects analysis for your project and could include species that exist in another geographic area. For

example, certain fish may appear on the species list because a project could affect downstream species. Critical habitats

listed under the Has Critical Habitat column may or may not lie within your project area. See the Critical habitats

within your project area section further below for critical habitat that lies within your project. Please contact the

designated FWS office if you have questions.

Birds Status Has Critical Habitat Condition(s)

California condor (Gymnogyps

californianus)

 Population: Entire, except where listed as an

experimental population

Endangered Final designated

Mexican Spotted owl (Strix

occidentalis lucida)

 Population: Entire

Threatened Final designated

Southwestern Willow flycatcher

(Empidonax traillii extimus)

 Population: Entire

Endangered Final designated

Yellow-Billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus

americanus)

 Population: Western U.S. DPS

Threatened Proposed

Fishes

Razorback sucker (Xyrauchen

texanus)

 Population: Entire

Endangered Final designated

Roundtail chub (Gila robusta)

 Population: Lower Colorado River Basin

Candidate

United States Department of Interior

Fish and Wildlife Service

Project name: Salt River Project - Navajo Generating Station Minor Modification
http://ecos.fws.gov/ipac, 09/17/2015 11:36 AM

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DPS

Flowering Plants

Welsh's milkweed (Asclepias welshii) Threatened Final designated

Mammals

Black-Footed ferret (Mustela nigripes)

 Population: U.S.A. (specific portions of AZ,

CO, MT, SD, UT, and WY)

Experimental

Population, NonEssential

Reptiles

Northern Mexican gartersnake

(Thamnophis eques megalops)

Threatened Proposed

United States Department of Interior

Fish and Wildlife Service

Project name: Salt River Project - Navajo Generating Station Minor Modification
http://ecos.fws.gov/ipac, 09/17/2015 11:36 AM

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Critical habitats that lie within your project area

There are no critical habitats within your project area.

United States Department of Interior

Fish and Wildlife Service

Project name: Salt River Project - Navajo Generating Station Minor Modification